Every year on June 14, Americans observe Flag Day, a celebration honoring the history and symbolism of the United States flag.
The date marks the anniversary of June 14, 1777, when the Second Continental Congress approved the design of the nation’s first official flag.
The resolution stated simply, “That the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”
While the flag has changed over the years as new states joined the Union, its basic design has remained the same.
Today, the American flag features 50 stars representing the 50 states and 13 stripes honoring the original colonies.
The first known observance of Flag Day is believed to have taken place in 1885 when Wisconsin schoolteacher Bernard J. Cigrand encouraged his students to celebrate the anniversary of the flag’s adoption.
Cigrand spent much of his life promoting a national day dedicated to the flag and is often referred to as the “Father of Flag Day.”
Support for the observance continued to grow in the decades that followed. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation establishing June 14 as Flag Day.
More than three decades later, in 1949, President Harry Truman signed legislation officially recognizing June 14 as National Flag Day.
Although Flag Day is not a federal holiday, communities across the country mark the occasion with ceremonies, parades, educational programs, and patriotic displays.
Many Americans also take time to properly display the flag at their homes and businesses.
Locally, residents will have an opportunity to celebrate Flag Day at Logan Acres Senior Community just outside Bellefontaine.
The Logan Acres Senior Community Foundation will host its annual Flag Day Celebration on Sunday with ceremonies beginning at 2 p.m.
The free event is open to the public and will feature guest speakers, local officials, servicemen, and a performance by the Razzamatazz and Jazz Band.
The highlight of the afternoon will be the dedication of the community’s Field of Flags, honoring veterans and public service officials.
Organizers say the event is designed to honor the American flag and express gratitude to those who have served and defended the nation.
The American flag has become one of the nation’s most recognizable symbols, representing freedom, unity, sacrifice, and the ideals upon which the United States was founded.
